Though not yet published in a scientific journal, something which the university says is forthcoming, the study had 80 adults weigh themselves in the morning before breakfast. Only weight reports of at least seven consecutive days were included in the study, which evaluated some participants up to 330 days.

In addition to finding a weight fluctuation pattern between the five work days and two weekend days the researchers identified a difference between people in the study who were considered weight losers and weight gainers. Weight losers would begin to lose weight again immediately after the weekend continuing through Friday, while weight gainers didn’t show any clear decrease during the weekdays.

The lowest weights of individuals were recorded on Fridays.

In light of these results, the researchers think that this fluctuation should be considered normal and noted that more indulgent weekends every once in a while are not necessarily harmful to successful weight loss efforts.

“Successful weight control is more likely to happen and for the long run if one is not too strict with one’s diet but allows for short-term splurges,” the study’s researchers wrote on Cornell’s website.